Utes, Hunsaker struggle while Majerus recovers
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

     SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Utah coach Rick Majerus spent the last week in the hospital, the Runnin’ Utes are struggling on the court and assistant Dick Hunsaker has a really big sweater to fill.
     Things are out of whack right now with the Utes (8-6), who are facing the possibility that Majerus, out indefinitely with health problems, might not return this season.
     ‘‘At first, maybe we weren’t giving the effort we would have given if coach Majerus was here,’’ point guard Travis Spivey said. ‘‘Now, guys realize maybe he won’t be here at all.’’
     It’s been almost two months since Majerus, 52, left after one game to rehabilitate a surgically repaired knee. Then on New Year’s Day, just before he planned to coach again, he was hospitalized with chest pains.
     Majerus, who has a history of heart disease, underwent procedures to clear two blocked arteries. He was released Sunday from LDS Hospital, although it’s unknown when or if he’ll return to coaching this season.
     ‘‘This is more than basketball,’’ guard Jeff Johnsen said. ‘‘He just needs to take his time and get better. He probably feels like he’s letting us down, but we don’t look at it that way. We want him to get better.’’
     Instead of Majerus prowling the sidelines in his trademark white sweater, Hunsaker has served as acting coach. Instead of their usual spot in the Top 25, the Utes are unranked after a pre-conference schedule that included homecourt losses to Weber State and Southern Utah.
     ‘‘We’ve been in a difficult situation and we still haven’t gelled as a team,’’ Johnsen said. ‘‘We’re playing hard but we’re making mistakes. It will take a little more time.’’
     Fans had high expectations for two former high school All-America forwards: Chris Burgess, who transferred from Duke, and Britton Johnsen, who returned after a two-year Mormon mission.
     Then there’s Spivey, a former Georgia Tech starter who came in from Salt Lake Community College to shore up a weakness at the point. Another junior-college transfer, Kevin Bradley, added depth at the position.
     Along with returning starter Nate Althoff at center, the Utes also had experienced players in Jeff Johnsen and forwards Phil Cullen and Mike Puzey.
     ‘‘Everybody knew we were very talented,’’ Cullen said.
     But even last summer, Majerus and Hunsaker had concerns.
     They saw several role players coming back from last season and realized it was only the second time in 11 seasons at Utah that Majerus didn’t have a returning all-conference player.
     They also worried about how the newcomers would mesh. And despite their efforts to motivate Althoff, they worried about his historically soft game.
     ‘‘When you have such a new group, you need better leadership from the few veterans we have,’’ Hunsaker said. ‘‘Those guys still need to be more aggressive.’’
     Then came the disruption of losing Majerus, one of college basketball’s most respected coaches.
     ‘‘With coach Hunsaker stepping in, it’s been hard to define roles. The relationships change,’’ Cullen said. ‘‘As an assistant, he’s more laid back. As the head coach, he’s got to be on you all the time.’’
     Hunsaker and Majerus share a love for hard-nosed defense and patient offense, but each employs different coaching techniques.
     ‘‘It’s difficult for the kids to have a leadership change, and it’s all magnified because Rick is a strong, commanding leader, coupled with his physical presence,’’ Hunsaker said.
     Hunsaker was an assistant to Majerus at Ball State during the late 1980s and took over that program for two years after Majerus left for Utah in 1989.
     ‘‘I’ve been through this before. I can’t be Rick,’’ he said. After taking a deep breath, he added: ‘‘I’m just going day to day.’’
     The Utes see a silver lining. They’re refocusing on the Mountain West schedule, beginning Monday night against Wyoming.
     ‘‘It’s not fair to coach Hunsaker if we don’t come out and play as hard as we should,’’ Spivey said. ‘‘Guys are getting committed, busting themselves like we should have done from Day 1.’’